The present invention relates to a collapsible storage bin, and particularly to collapsible bins made of paperboard. More particularly, the present invention relates to a storage bin made of corrugated material and configured to contain peanuts.
Various types of paperboard bins are used as bulk storage for peanuts. It is important for the storage bins to be sturdy in order to resist "bulging". The bins must also have the ability to be refilled and reused while maintaining the same strength properties. Often times, peanuts or peanut parts can become wedged in any exposed fluting of the paperboard. These trapped peanuts then decay or mold. A storage bin in accordance with the present invention is configured to provide a sturdy, reusable bin having covered fluting.
According to the present invention, a container includes a bin and two cartons placed in a carton-receiving region formed in the bin. Side walls of the bin are made of corrugated material and include top edge openings exposing flutes contained in the corrugated material. Each carton includes carton panels arranged to lie adjacent to the bin side walls and top flaps appended to the carton panels and arranged to cover the top edge openings in the bin side walls. The top flaps on the cartons block flow of storage material such as peanuts, peanut parts, and peanut shells into the flutes during discharge of such storage material into the interior regions formed in the first and second cartons.
In preferred embodiments, the bin includes four bin side walls arranged in series to define the carton-receiving region. First and second cartons are arranged in side-by-side relation to fill the entire carton-receiving region formed in the bin. Three top flaps included in the first carton are folded over the top edge of the first, second, and fourth bin side walls to cover exposed flutes in the top edge openings of that first set of bin side walls and three top flaps included in the second carton are folded over the top edge of the second, third, and fourth bin side walls to cover exposed flutes in the top edge openings of that second set of bin side walls.
The container also includes a middle divider arranged to partition the carton-receiving region and form the boundary between the interior region of the first carton and the interior region of the second carton. A first divider wall included in the first carton and a second divider wall included in the second carton lie in side-by-side relation to one another to define the middle divider.
Each of the first and second divider walls is made of corrugated material and includes top edge openings exposing flutes contained in that corrugated material. A first divider top flap is appended to the first divider wall and folded over the top edge of the adjacent second divider wall and coupled to that second divider wall to cover the top edge openings in the second divider wall and block flow of storage material into the second divider wall flutes. A second divider top flap is appended to the second divider wall and folded over the top edge of the adjacent first divider wall and coupled to that first divider wall to cover the top edge openings in the first divider wall and block flow of storage material into the first divider wall flutes.
Additional features of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of preferred embodiments exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the invention as presently perceived.